Destiny Knows Best
by Faith4000
Summary: After three years of silence from Gabi, Antonio finally gets some news. Will their bound and love be renewed, or has the time and distance after Gabi left caused its loss?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one:

Gabi turned off the last light in the kitchen "see you tomorrow, Phil." She called to her friend, exiting the restaurant and letting him close off the place.

Once outside, she breathed deeply with a smile. She looked up at the clear sly and let her thoughts trail back to the memories, like she had done every night for the last three years.

Leaving sunset beach and moving house for good didn't help fill the void that Antonio left in her life. It felt as if it was yesterday that they last saw each other.

Many things happened over the years. She met people, made friends, even had a few dates but most importantly she had started over with something completely different from what she used to do back in Sunset Beach, with the hope that it would make her forget everything and everyone back there.

She had taken cooking classes, worked hard and bought her own place here in San Francisco. And a year ago at last with the help of her best friend Philippe, a professional French chef, she was able to open up a cozy nice restaurant in the city. Business was going good yet the same couldn't be said for her personal life.

She had done everything in her power to fall out of love with the two brothers, starting with Ricardo, it had been easy, easier still when she took the time to realize that she was never truly in love with him. He was a target once and with Antonio prompting her to have him, she and Ricardo ended up dating.

It was terrible to figure out after all this time that if it hadn't been for Antonio's attempts and insisting on Gabi to give Ricardo a chance, she would never have dated him in the first place.

Getting over Ricardo was a child's play compared to her fruitless obsession of getting over Antonio.

Antonio was the one since the beginning. She had wanted to make a good impression on him. She liked him as a person, a man who got her through every fear and issue from her childhood. Yet, he was and always would be out of her league. He had committed himself body and soul to the church and to God. By doing so he had made the thought of pursuing him a total dead end.

Antonio had been her best friend, her rock, her solace and most importantly the man she was deeply and wholeheartedly in love with.

She had suffered near him because of the impossibility of their relationship and she suffered now even more for the same reason.

Three years… thirty six months of agony and getting Antonio off her mind was still a long shot, practically impossible. The humble, kind, selfless most gorgeous priest never left her heart and she knew she would continue loving him forever.

With constant memories of their romantic stolen moments, Just the possibility of what could have been if had chosen her over his priesthood sent her heart into a frenzy.

Tonight was another evening to be spent aching for him, wondering what has become of his love for her. Was he missing her just as much?

She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself as she walked down the street. She signaled for a taxi and got in the cab silently.

Her routine of loneliness suffocated her. She needed him. Lying to herself was of no use anymore. It was time for her to do what she had been hesitating on for months. She had to contact him, she could no longer wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

Eyes closed, down on his knees, father Antonio never once forgot his bedtime prayers. He prayed with all his heart and faith for those in need, and for loved ones, also with great joy for his newly married brother who was now spending his honeymoon somewhere in Europe.

Last but not least, he prayed for the woman he never forgot to mention. 'Gabi', the woman folks around sunset beach might have forgotten about but not him. Never in those past million days could he take off his mind the love of his life. His feelings for Gabi hadn't subsided one bit. If anything, they grew stronger every day.

As his sister had predicted once, his love for Gabi would follow him anywhere.

As a priest he did everything in his power to ignore his inner longing, thirst and ache of his heart and soul. Feelings that he knew deep down would linger throughout his life time.

He trusted in his faith as well as he could, meditating every day, seeking every ounce of comfort the prayers brought him.

He had tried, lord knows how hard he had tried to devote himself solely to serving the almighty but, the desire to find her and make her his always crept in on him, haunting him even in his dreams depriving him of any chance to find peace.

He found himself more than once day dreaming of what could have been. A long happy life by her side would have been heaven on earth, being blessed with children to see grow. Oh how he longed for those things, ambitions that were left far behind yet now he wanted it all back so badly, he hated himself for that.

He could fool everyone around, even his family into thinking he was alright yet ever since Gabi left to give his brother and him a chance of reconciliation, some bonding, he felt an immense loss of stability and purpose. In fact the mingle of that sensation with the hidden sadness drained his harmony out of him altogether.

All that had him keeping it together was his best hopes for her, praying she was well and most importantly, happy.

Tonight, he wished for her to find love again, to have her happily ever after as Ricardo did.

He went into his bed, feeling empty, like every night wishing that slumber would sweep over him fast and so it did.

More days passed quiet and uneventful. One Thursday morning, Antonio rose from his desk closing the holy book he had been reading and lifted along the few set aside.

A knock on his office door stopped him in his tracks, only to see his mother coming in with a distressed look "Mi hijo!" she started breathlessly, "I'm glad I found you here. There is something you need to know."

Antonio knew too well that psychic expression on her face. "Mama, what is it this time?" he has gotten used to her foretelling, and honestly has gotten tired of it over the years.

"I consulted the cards again hijo, there is great change that awaits you."

Antonio exhaled wearily "please, mama. You know I don't believe in what the cards tell you."

"pero…Antonio, your future within the church is about to disappear! I am certain you will not be here in Sunset Beach much longer."

Antonio eyed her with a look of anger and disdain. After all the sacrifices, meditation, prayers and torturous self- inflicted guilt, she would dare to come and tell him the church won't keep him further.

"Give me a break, mama. This is nonsense, I'm not going anywhere. My place is here, doing God's word."

"Surely you don't know it yet, but your life is going to change drastically my son. You have to be cautious now."

"I can't hear any more of this. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"I only tell you what I saw in the cards Antonio. You know they never faulted…" she shrugged looking away "perhaps that's why you are reacting this badly."

"Alright, I'm going to hear confessions right now, and I'll pretend we never had this conversation!" He addressed her sternly. "Mama, you can come visit anytime you like, but if it's to throw words like that to my face then, I think it's better if you stayed away."

Before Carmen could utter a word back, he had already stormed out of his office, more nagged than he let out in front of his mother.

Walking so fast, Antonio almost bumped into one of the nuns passing by. He ran a hand over his face with a sigh "forgive me, sister. I didn't see you there."

"Oh, the fault is mine, father. I was actually coming to see you." She smiled politely, handing him a letter with his name on it "This came in for you just now, father."

"Thank you," he smiled back and watched her step away to leave. Antonio couldn't help but notice there was no back address on it, it was an anonymous letter.

Fighting all sense of curiosity, he folded it and tucked it safely into his pocket, hurrying back to his duties.

The hours flew by quickly and Antonio found himself sitting once more at his desk intending to read the mysterious mail that he had received. He inspected the envelope carefully.

For a moment there, he couldn't move, there was that smell covering the paper, a perfume that stayed in his memory to this day still. 'Gabi!' he breathed out with a thrill of surprise. He tore it open with growing eagerness and instantly began to read with intense focus.

Dear Antonio,

After three long years of consideration, I finally got the courage to write to you. I guess I owe you an apology for disappearing on you like I did. You'll have to forgive me, Antonio. I had to get out of sight completely to give your brother and you some space to clear it all.

Antonio's heart beat faster with every word, his eyes quickly scanned her next words.

I kept wondering how you were… and how Ricardo was and how things were going in Sunset Beach. Oh, how I miss it there! You can't imagine how I miss life under that sun, but most importantly how I miss you all. Especially you Antonio…

"God … I miss you too, Gabi." Antonio breathed unconsciously. He couldn't believe she had finally given a sign of life.

It had been so easy to let you go at first, for the greater good, I thought. It was easier still to move on from my past with Ricardo, but you I could never get off my mind: my best friend, my solace that always stayed with me in mind and heart.

Antonio smiled happily with a light chuckle for the first time in months. Overwhelmed by Gabi's words effect on him, he was curious what was in there next.

I hope you are not too mad at me for having the gull to contact you anonymously like this. I also hope that what I'm about to ask of you won't startle you much…

I have been willing to meet you again for so long. I really need to see you, Antonio.

He inhaled shakily, putting slowly down the letter in slight stun. She was ready to see him, the idea of meeting Gabi face to face after so long disturbed him more than anything his mother could foretell for him.

Every memory of Gabi's presence by his side came rushing back in a flash, making his calmness evaporate in minutes. He carried on reading nonetheless.

Would you pay me a visit this weekend? I live in San Francisco. It's so worth seeing, I promise. For our old friendship's sake, please do come. I'll be waiting at the airport on Saturday. I look ofrward to see you…

I love you.

His heart skipped a beat at her final words; words that caressed his ears and made his eyes close in emotion. Between the thrill of hearing from Gabi, the joy of her familiar comforting confessions and the dangerous tempting request she had asked of him, he didn't quite know how to react.

She had offered him a chance to finally meet again. No matter how wrong and risky it would be to have a tete-a-tete there was no question about his answer to her invite. His mind was made up before he knew it.

Against every bad gut-feeling and better judgment that ran through him, he chose to run to her nonetheless. He wouldn't miss that chance for the world.

Thus, with everything arranged at the mission and father Obrian's replacement for him, Antonio prepared to leave. He would spend the weekend at Gabi's side.


End file.
